provided with a box containing ten
ballots; five white (_ayes_), and five blue (_nays_). These consist of
oblong squares of steel, having the name of the representative engraved
upon each side. The urns are so arranged that the white and blue ballots
fall into different compartments, not at random, but arrange themselves
against a graduated copper rod, which shows at a glance the number of
ballots for or against. These rods are taken from the urns, and placed
upon a piece of mechanism upon the tribune, so arranged that one side
shows all the ayes, the other all the nays, and the secretaries have
only to add up the sums of the rods. Then, by touching a lever, the
sides are reversed, so that the secretaries who have added the ayes have
the nays presented to them; thus mutually checking each other. The
result is thus ascertained in a few minutes, with scarcely a possibility
of error. Lists are prepared beforehand bearing numbers corresponding to
those engraved on a corner of the ballots, by which means the copy for
the _Moniteur_ is speedily furnished, with the utmost accuracy. This
which used to take a considerable time, and swarmed with errors, can now
be done in ten minutes. This ingenious and beautiful apparatus costs
27,000 francs.

A new aeronautic machine has been exhibited at Paris, which it is
claimed solves the long sought problem, at least on a small scale, of
directing the course of a balloon through the air. The leading ideas of
the machine are drawn from the structure of birds and fishes, the
animals that possess the power of traversing a liquid element. The model
with which the successful experiments were performed, consists of a
balloon of gold-beaters' skin, inflated with hydrogen, some three or
four yards long, nearly round in front, and terminating in a horizontal
rudder like the tail of a bird; a little before and above which is
another rudder placed vertically, like the tail of a fish. The former is
to change the course of the vessel up and down, the latter to turn it to
the right or left. Toward the head of the balloon, in a position
corresponding to that of the fins of a fish, are placed light wings,
capable of a rapid motion, which constitute the motive power. In the
model these are set in motion by machinery; but in the working machine
human power is proposed. A framework of hollow iron is placed
horizontally around the balloon to which it is attached by cords; this
furnishes the fixed point to wh